State and Local Government

Course Description

POS2112 – State and Local Government is a 3-credit lecture course examining the organization, functions, and operations of state and local governments in the United States, with particular attention given to state, county, and city government in Florida. The course covers state constitutions, political parties, state legislatures, governorships and state executives, state courts, intergovernmental relations, and the dynamics of administrative and policy-making processes. Local government coverage typically includes county government (including the unique strong-county system of many Florida counties), municipal government, special districts, school boards, and metropolitan governance issues.

The course sits within the Florida Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) under Political Science > American Government and is offered at approximately 25 Florida public institutions. POS2112 satisfies the social science general education requirement at most Florida public colleges and universities. Many Florida institutions require completion of POS2041 (American National Government) as a related — but not always prerequisite — course; at Chipola College, for example, POS2041 is recommended but not required for POS2112.

POS2112 is unusual among political-science survey courses in its strong Florida-specific orientation. Many institutions design the course to be as practical as possible, including direct engagement with local elected officials and government processes. The course is well-positioned for students considering careers in Florida public service, local government, law enforcement, urban planning, public administration, or law.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of POS2112, students will be able to:

• Describe the structure and function of state government in the U.S. and Florida: state constitutions; the separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial); state-level elections; state political parties.
• Describe the structure and function of Florida state government: the Florida Constitution; the Florida Legislature (Senate and House of Representatives); the Cabinet system; the Governor and state executive agencies; the Florida Supreme Court and state judiciary.
• Analyze federalism and intergovernmental relations: the constitutional division of authority between federal and state governments; cooperative and coercive federalism; federal funding and mandates; state-federal conflicts.
• Describe the structure and function of county government, with particular attention to Florida's county system: charter and non-charter counties; the Board of County Commissioners; county constitutional officers (Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, Clerk of the Circuit Court).
• Describe the structure and function of municipal government: home rule; council-manager, strong mayor, weak mayor, and commission forms of government; municipal services; the relationship between counties and cities.
• Describe the structure and function of special districts and school districts: water management districts, transit authorities, port authorities, school boards.
• Analyze state and local elections: ballot initiatives and referenda; partisan and nonpartisan elections; the influence of money and interest groups.
• Analyze state and local public policy: education policy, healthcare policy, criminal justice policy, environmental policy, taxation and budgeting.
• Identify and describe contemporary Florida political issues: growth and land-use management, water resources, immigration, education funding, hurricane response and emergency management, the impact of tourism on policy.
• Apply research methods appropriate to the social sciences: identifying credible primary and secondary sources; evaluating data; recognizing bias.
• Demonstrate college-level writing through analytical essays and (often) a research project on a state or local political topic.

Optional Outcomes

Depending on instructor approach and institutional emphasis, students may also:

• Engage in direct observation of state, county, or municipal government meetings (commission meetings, council meetings, court sessions).
• Conduct interviews with local officials as part of a course project.
• Engage in service-learning with a local government agency, political campaign, or civic organization.
• Compare Florida government to other state systems, especially Texas, California, New York, and the home states of other students.
• Apply policy analysis tools to a specific Florida policy issue.
• Engage with tribal government: the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and their relationship to state and federal authority.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Federalism and the U.S. Constitutional Framework: The constitutional division of authority; the Tenth Amendment; the Supremacy Clause; the Commerce Clause; the evolution of federalism (dual, cooperative, coercive, devolution).
• State Constitutions: Structure and function; comparison to the U.S. Constitution; the Florida Constitution and its amendments; constitutional revision processes.
• State Politics and Elections: Political parties at the state level; primaries and general elections; redistricting and gerrymandering; campaign finance; ballot initiatives and referenda.
• State Legislatures: Bicameral structure; legislative process; committee systems; party leadership; the Florida Legislature specifically.
• State Executives: The role of the governor; line-item veto and other executive powers; the Florida Cabinet system (Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture); state agencies and bureaucracy.
• State Courts: The structure of state judicial systems; the Florida Supreme Court, District Courts of Appeal, Circuit Courts, and County Courts; merit selection vs. election of judges.
• County Government: Charter vs. non-charter counties (a key Florida distinction); the Board of County Commissioners; constitutional officers; the county manager/administrator; county services.
• Municipal Government: Home rule and municipal powers; council-manager, strong mayor, weak mayor, and commission forms; municipal services and revenue; special districts.
• Local Government in Florida Practice: Specific Florida county and city examples; the dual-county/city relationship in places like Miami-Dade, Duval/Jacksonville (consolidated), Orlando/Orange, Tampa/Hillsborough.
• State and Local Public Policy: Education (K–12 and the state university system); healthcare and Medicaid; criminal justice and corrections; environmental and growth-management policy; taxation and the state budget.
• State and Local Finance: State revenue (sales tax, no state income tax in Florida, tourism and gas taxes); state expenditures; local property taxation and millage rates; budget processes.
• Florida-Specific Issues: Growth management and the 1985 Growth Management Act; water management and the five Water Management Districts; hurricane response and emergency management; the impact of tourism; immigration and demographic change; the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes.

Optional Topics

• Comparative State Politics: Comparison of Florida government with other large states (California, Texas, New York).
• Direct Democracy: Initiative, referendum, and recall in Florida and other states.
• Interest Groups and Lobbying: The Tallahassee lobbying environment; major Florida interest groups (Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Education Association, AARP Florida, environmental groups).
• State Bureaucracy: The structure of Florida state agencies; civil service; agency rule-making.
• Political Culture in Florida: The "three Floridas" (North, Central, South); the urban/rural divide; the role of in-migration in shaping Florida politics.
• Civic Engagement Project: Direct observation, interview, or service-learning with a state, county, or municipal government entity.

Resources & Tools

• Most-adopted textbooks at Florida institutions: Politics in States and Communities by Thomas R. Dye and Susan A. MacManus (Pearson) — Susan MacManus is a USF political scientist and one of the leading scholars of Florida government; this is the most widely-adopted text at Florida institutions; State and Local Politics: Institutions and Reform by Smith and Greenblatt (Cengage); Governing States and Localities by Smith and Greenblatt (CQ Press).
• Florida-specific texts: The Florida Handbook (Allen Morris and Joan Perry Morris, periodically updated) — comprehensive Florida government reference; Florida's Politics: A Political History of the Sunshine State; the Florida Sourcebook.
• Open-access alternative: OpenStax does not currently publish a state-and-local-government text. Some institutions use instructor-curated readers from public sources.
• Primary government sources: The Florida Constitution (online at flsenate.gov); Florida Statutes (online); the Florida Legislature website; the Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR); the Florida Chamber of Commerce; Florida TaxWatch.
• Local government sources: County and city websites; the Florida Association of Counties; the Florida League of Cities.
• News sources: Florida Trend; the Tampa Bay Times; the Miami Herald; the Orlando Sentinel; News4Jax; Florida Politics; the Florida Channel (live broadcast of Florida Legislature).
• Online learning platforms: Cengage MindTap; Pearson Revel; institution Canvas modules.
• Tutoring and support: Institution writing centers; libguides at Broward College, Miami Dade College, and other institutions provide curated POS2112 research resources.

Career Pathways

POS2112 is foundational for Florida-relevant career pathways in public service, government, law, and policy:

• State Government Employee — the State of Florida employs over 100,000 people across executive agencies; entry-level analyst, specialist, and administrative positions.
• Local Government / County / Municipal Employee — Florida's 67 counties and 411 municipalities employ tens of thousands; planners, analysts, administrators, recreation, parks.
• Lawyer / Legal Professional — POS2112 supports pre-law preparation; Florida law schools (UF, FSU, Florida A&M, FIU, Stetson, Nova Southeastern, Barry, Ave Maria, St. Thomas) and legal practice.
• Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice — the course is highly relevant for sheriff's deputies, municipal police, state troopers, FDLE special agents, and state attorneys' offices.
• Public Administration / City Manager / County Administrator — pathway through MPA programs at UF, FSU, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, FGCU.
• Urban and Regional Planner — Florida's substantial growth-management workforce; American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.
• Political Campaign Staff / Lobbyist / Government Affairs — Tallahassee's professional political community; corporate government affairs.
• Journalist / Government Reporter — Florida's substantial state-government press corps.
• Nonprofit / Advocacy Organization Staff — Florida's nonprofit and policy-advocacy sectors.
• K–12 Social Studies Teacher — pathway through Florida education programs; particularly relevant for high school government, civics, and American history teachers.

Special Information

Articulation and Transfer

POS2112 articulates to all Florida SUS institutions and satisfies the social science general-education requirement at every Florida public institution. The course is required or strongly recommended in many political science, public administration, criminal justice, and urban planning programs.

The Florida Civic Literacy Requirement

Under Florida Statute 1007.25, students seeking an Associate in Arts (AA) degree or a baccalaureate degree must satisfy the State Core requirement in civic literacy by completing one of the designated civic-literacy courses (typically POS2041 American National Government or AMH2020 U.S. History since 1877) and by passing the Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE). POS2112 does not by itself satisfy the State Core civic literacy requirement — students should consult their academic advisor to confirm which course satisfies this requirement at their institution. POS2112 is, however, an excellent complement to the required civic-literacy course.

Prerequisites

POS2112 generally has no prerequisites; some institutions recommend prior completion of POS2041 (American National Government) but do not require it. Some institutions list ENC1101 (Composition I) as a prerequisite or co-requisite given the writing involved.

Course Format and Workload

POS2112 is typically a lecture-discussion course meeting three hours per week, often offered in face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online formats. Expect a textbook chapter per week, current-events reading (Florida political news), 2–4 exams (typically a mix of objective and short-answer), 1–2 written assignments analyzing a Florida policy issue, and (often) a research paper on a state or local government topic. Out-of-class workload typically runs 5–7 hours per week.

Course Code Variations

Florida institutions consistently use POS2112 for this course, titled "State and Local Government" or sometimes "American State and Local Government." The course is consistently 3 credits across institutions.